Hull concentration becomes registered program

Augusta University now has an undergraduate Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) registered program. 

This means students in the Financial Counseling and Planning concentration at the James M. Hull College of Business meet the coursework requirement to take the CFP certification exam.

“Usually, we encourage students to sit for the CFP certification,”said Ichchha Pandey, PhD, CFP.  

She added that individuals with the certification receive higher compensation than those who do not have it.   

Pandey was asked to work on getting the concentration as a registered program because she is a CFP.  She has spent the last few months working on the process, which included filling out the application and checking each class to make sure they are aligned with the CFP Board.   

“Throughout the program, students will gain a strong foundation in all major areas of personal financial planning: professional conduct and regulation, financial planning fundamentals, income tax planning, employee benefits and retirement planning, estate planning, investments planning and risk management and insurance planning, psychology of financial planning, financial plan development (Capstone),” Pandey explained. “I had to make sure student learning outcomes of each of the courses that we offer to fulfill the course requirement align with the CFP Board’s principal knowledge domains and topic to get it approved.”     

With this CFP Board approval, Hull College is now one of four schools in Georgia to be a CFP Board registered program for the undergraduate degree as a major.   

The approval is effective for the fall 2026 semester. What this means for students already in the program is that they will have to submit their coursework information to the CFB Board for review. Students will receive credit for courses completed and passed after the approval date. The board will review the items to determine whether the students meet the requirements to sit for the exam.

Pandey added that the CFP Board offers several scholarship programs to assist students with completing their education and exam requirements. Besides scholarships, graduates of undergraduate programs can receive a reduced rate for taking the exam for the first time if they take the exam within 18 months of earning their degree.